Lupus nephritis is an example of a “classical” auto-immune disease in which the patient's immune system attacks his/her own organs. It has been estimated that 45–75% of lupus patients eventually suffer from some form or other of kidney damage. Lupus varies greatly in severity from mild cases requiring minimal intervention to those in which significant damage occurs to vital organs such as lungs, kidneys, heart and brain, and which ultimately can be fatal. Lupus is predominantly a female disease, with an approximate female to male ratio being 9:1. In North America, it is estimated to affect 1 in 500 females mainly between the age of 20 to 40 years.
There is no known cure for lupus. Treatment is typically directed at controlling the symptoms with the hope of putting the disease into remission. Recently, the antibiotic rapamycin has been demonstrated to be an effective therapy in treating lupus nephritis in a murine model of the disease.